51pc girls, 4pc minorities amongst 69,130 recipients

Islamabad: As many as 69,130 Ehsaas undergraduate scholarships worth Rs6.53 billion are being awarded for financial year 2020-21; these include 51 per cent scholarships for girls and 4 per cent for minorities. The need-cum-merit based Ehsaas scholarship covers 100% tuition fee and a living stipend.

The project steering committee of Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship came to the table for the eighth time here Thursday to review the process of scholarship disbursements for financial year 2020-21. Chairing the meeting, Dr. Sania Nishtar stated, “No deserving student should get deprived of higher education.” Reflecting on the criteria, she emphasized to ensure that the programme holistically benefits girls, minorities, differently abled students as well as those from disadvantaged areas who applied for scholarship. She also urged the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to expedite and complete the payment process to universities and students before June 30, 2021.

The meeting also reviewed the pattern being followed for scholarship distribution and disbursements to 119 public sector universities. The programme is on the track in its first two years of execution. In the current year 2020-21, as many as 120,000 undergraduate students applied for Ehsaas scholarship through an online portal. Students from low-income backgrounds studying in undergraduate programmes across 119 public sector universities were eligible to apply.

Overall, 69,130 scholarships are being awarded nationwide for the current fiscal year. Among these, 59 per cent of the scholarships are being awarded to students from Punjab, 41 per cent from Sindh, 61 per cent from Balochistan, 51 per cent from KP, 50 per cent from AJK and GB each and 45 per cent to those from ICT. The scholarship support will be continued to awardees throughout the course of their undergraduate degree programme, based on their academic performance.

The Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship programme was launched by the PM on November 4, 2019. The geographical spread of the programme covers all four provinces, AJK and GB. According to the programme design, 200,000 undergraduate scholarships are being given in four years to enhance financial access to higher education for the brilliant yet deserving students. Fifty per cent scholarships are reserved for girls.